Every Day Really Counts

Every Day Really Counts.

I woke up quite early today , about five after a light sleep. It may be the prednisone I am on for the poison oak I got while hiking last week here in Sonoma or it may be the incredible movie I saw (The Lady) last night at the Sonoma Film Festival. Whatever it is, I feel very alive and ENORMOUSLY grateful for life. Words are merely not adequate to describe the woman in Burma , Aung San Sun Kyi. Her courage, her vision, her personal sacrifices, and her devotion to human rights are so deeply touching that I am filled with my own renewed sense of life.

I have been continuously reminded of how life , my feelings, thoughts, awarenesses, changes everyday, in fact really every moment. Being in the moment of the experience, whether it is sitting here pouring out words onto my computer, eating lunch in a downtown cafe, walking among all the new life of springtime, or allowing the sadness of a moment to come fully present ,I am personally experiencing how being with the complete awareness of what is actually happening is at the core of really living. Embracing all of what life has to offer us at this amazing smorgasbord of possibilities is what it means to live a full life. Clearly some life journeys are far more difficult than others, however as we truly accept what is present something opens, the remembering of who we really are with all the dramas of life, all the stories we tell ourselves has room to emerge.

I do think there is something about this incredibly, strong, determined LADY in Burma that brought this to the forefront of my awareness of what it means to be a human being. She has touched so many others with her sense of justice, compassion and strength. And now me - halfway around the world.

So my prayer for today is to embrace with loving kindness, moment by moment life as it appears - to remember so much of what I truly know that living my life from my heart, filled with compassion for the journey of all living beings brings me fully into my humanness.

Easter in Sonoma

I just want to get a few thoughts down on paper before this day passes. I am not sure how coherent they will be because it is late at night

This was a very different "Easter for me". No Easter egg hunts, or coloring of eggs before Easter, no Easter dinner, and no family here with us to celebrate. I miss my children and grandchildren. I loved skping with Jason and family last night and appreciated the pictures of Tessa and Thatcher that he sent us today. I was very happy to talk with Susan and Lukas today. All of this gave me a real connection to what matters, which is so much of what holidays are about. - family. But they were not here ...so what would we do....

We went to the Unitarian church in Santa Rosa. We both really enjoyed that. It certainly brought back to the part of me what Easter has always been long before my Palmer family....a church service. The minister's theme was about flowers from the perspective of renewal, beauty and rebirth. It really is difficult to put into words the rather magical way he created thus service (in part because it is late and I don't really have the grasp of words I am wanting), however suffice it to say that he found the right mix of poetry, music, insights, and humor to bring me back to my heart. I found myself feeling weepy at times. In other words the service touched my heart deeply. And so while I missed some of the things about Easter that have always mattered to me, this day had its own touch of rebirth and magic for me.

Our day ended with a leisurely, impromptu dinner with a couple from Vermont, Mike and Diane who are here with our friends Dick and Donnw (away for now) which was most enjoyable. So tonight I am once again reminded of one of my favorite quotes, "Life happens while you are making plans"